REVIEWS

I've been using this for a little over a week and all in all I'm pretty happy with it. The accuracy, which some reviewers complained about, hasn't been an issue for me. I've kept a close eye on my recorded intervals and it hasn't missed a length or a stroke type yet. I had a little trouble establishing the initial connection between my Win 7 PC and the watch. The one didn't see the other and I'm not exactly sure how I fixed it but after poking it enough it worked, and it's worked fine since.

My only complaints so far:1. You have to manually stop timing of each interval. I guess this is understandable since it's hard for the watch to precisely detect when you stop (as opposed to a flip turn then push which the sensors can figure out). But it means that you lose a half second or so at the end of each interval between the time you touch the wall and the time you stop the watch.2. Documentation could be better. As I mentioned, getting the PC and watch to communicate was a small struggle and I think clearer instructions might have helped. Likewise, there are a number of features in the watch menus that aren't explained anywhere (drill logging, etc.). They're not that hard to figure out, but still, why not lay out these details in a few pages of the manual?

But these are fairly minor issues. The main thing is that it accurately records my swims, which it does, and lets me view and analyze them online, which it also does. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in the same.

I use the GS watch to record my workouts. I typically swim 3000 yards twice a week (I am 76 years old), and do some competition in Sr. Olympics. It does a good job of keeping track of my laps and I am able to look at the data and judge my progress. So far, I have found that the watch does not recognize the difference between breaststroke and butterfly. I never do breaststroke because I have artificial knees.

I have owned this for over a year. It does a great job at counting laps. There are few things to be aware of: It is an accelerometer, so it senses when you push of the pool. If you do not push hard enough, it will misread 2 laps as one. I primarily swim freestyle. The only time it misread my stroke was when it was technically incorrect: so not all that useful if you haven't developed technique yet. Acceleration in the middle of a lap will also cause a misread (so use the drill feature if your set require acceleration during a lap).The data uploaded to the Garmin web site is good, but not descriptive enough (it would be nice to know how the stats are calculated). Overall this is a very helpful tool if you have decent technique.it is a fairly easy to learn: but the user manual is a bit lacking. So you will have to fiddle with it for a few days. The buttons are nice and big. The watch itself is a bulky, but it does not affect the motion of your wrist in a manner that is noticeable (at my level anyway) and I haven't perceived any additional drag. At this point, I would hate to swim without.

What I've learned is that each device works differently. I originally purchased a Poolmate. I swim three intervals on each visit. I've used the Poolmate about 35 times now and the number of visits that it recorded all my intervals correctly was maybe once. Its clear that the Poolmate requires a longer glide at the beginning of each lap than I would like. So I decided to try the Garmin Swim. The Garmin uses a different method to detect lap changes. I've used it twice now and it recorded all my intervals perfectly. At first I was worried about all the extra buttons but they actually make the device easier to use. This device is much better engineered. I created a custom screen to show the lap count in big letters. The data is easily uploaded wirelessly to their website. Website has good data but if you want to further analyze the data, you can export it. I love the design. I love the data it collects. Easy to use and highly recommended.

Can You Say Awesome! Was her reply.By
Makaral
from Greenwood, IN
on 1/20/2014

The only thing I can say is that my swimmer loves her Garmin Swim and it does help her keep track of all that she does. By getting the info from it, she is more focused on what she needs to improve because of it. Worth every penny. She was able to use her private Coach before we moved to where we are now, so he was very instrumental in teaching her the usage and advantages of having it. Her team mates here have never heard of it and are also enthralled with what it shows.

Have been swimming with the poolmate for two years with no miss counts... decided to shift to Gramin for the looks, bad decision, I have swam 6 times with it and it miss counted my laps 3 times (added an extra lap each time), I swim ~50 laps each time.It is easy to handle and great to see the results in the web applicaiton

Returned to swimming and needed to gauge if my training was effective. This watch is amazingly accurate, and it really can recognize when you change to backstroke, breast, fly or freestyle. Linking with ant was easy after I found the Mac downloads.

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Garmin was formed in 1989 during a relaxed card game between a few ambitious engineers. Although the company has expanded to include thousands of employees and multiple locations, Garmin's principles remain simple: To provide innovative, convenient products that perform.

Garmin's products range to include multiple areas of interest including fitness, running and cycling. All of Garmin's products come from ideas generated from within. From heart rate monitors to cycling computers, Garmin continues to produce high-quality GPS-enabled personal devices.

With new ideas and inventions emerging from Garmin every day, Garmin employees live up to its company's motto by continuing to produce products that contain astronomical amounts of information all packed into one simple, portable device. With products like the Garmin Forerunner 410 Heart Rate Monitor, the Garmin Forerunner 310XT Heart Rate Monitor, the Garmin Forerunner 410 Watch, the Garmin Edge 605 Cycling Computer, and the Garmin Forerunner 110 Watch, Garmin is poised to become the leader in fitness technology.